So other than the power supply melting, which I'm dealing with, the Wretch Machine is getting a lot of attention in my studio.

As I start to get used to its different behaviour, I am starting to note its idiosyncracies. If I had to choose a single word to describe the S-1000, it would be "cantankerous".

The sound you can get out of the thing is great. I read up before I really started trying to get it to do anything I actually was trying to do, because it doesn't behave like much of anything else I have seen. But once you do get used to it, it can be pretty different.

Getting it to track anything approaching a decent scale means sacrificing the 2 octave tracking limit, at least on my unit. And being patient about the offset and span trims. Those are a pain in the ass for my eyes, they're down inside a hole and I can't see to get the tweaker in. But perseverence works.

I understand it better after reading and playing. At the risk of hearing some background hum, keeping levels midrange seems to get more mellow-ish sounds. Overdriving it is fine, and it makes some perfectly nasty noises, which is fine too. It did especially well tied to my Moog's touch plate, offsetting the output of the plate to adjust for the S-1000's expectation of CV. I have a Kenton Pro-2000.

I love the filter. Very expressive, and very excitable. The waveshaper reminds me of something I used to play with on my dad's workbench, he had some function generators that you could screw around with and clip the waveforms with, and this reminds me of that. The pulsy thing is odd, and frequently doesn't want to work, but if I forget about it, it suddenly wakes up and announces itself.

Anyway I was noodling around and recorded the Wretch, my SE1-X and the Voyager along with some drum thing, done in Cycling 74's M. If you're familiar with M, you know that randomness is kind of what it's about. So this is a famous lost mix, probably best left that way, but a fun afternoon spent nonetheless.

Here's a link. Bear in mind I'm still learning and didn't think to get even more dynamic.

The main theme is the Wretch, both oscillators, one detuned a 4th down, no waveshaper in, filter on relatively low Q, mid between lowpass and bandpass. I think that is a pretty nice timbre. The filter is just beginning to hint about growling and things were tracking pretty well when I hit the record button.

The bass, such as it is, is the Voyager. The high part is the SE-1X fed through a Moog ring modulator and 12-stage phase shifter.

Are you familiar with M?_________________Garret: It's so retro.
EGM: What does retro mean to you?
Parker: Like, old and outdated.Home,My Studio,and another view

I'm enjoying the track too EdisonRex. I actually got on here to ask a question that stems from trying to do something similar, set up wise. I've got a doepfer mcv24 and I'm trying to experiment with controlling the wretch machine. Instead of M, I was planning on using max/msp, which I just got 3 days ago. I haven't built my little control system (it takes a little learning in max as you probably know), but what I wanted to do first and foremost with max was control analog synths. The wretch seems slow to respond to the midiCC envelopes I've drawn in ableton live. I don't know whether it is a limitation of the wretch, or of my mcv24. What is the responce time like when using your kenton? I wanted to do filter sweeps and change the pulsar tune with some emphasis on moderatly fast rhythm. I'm a bit afraid that the mcv24 might be a little slow, and don't have any other analog gear to test the responce with. I have a few modules, I've collected, but nothing is set up yet (need to build cases and get power supplies)

Instead of M, I was planning on using max/msp, which I just got 3 days ago. I haven't built my little control system (it takes a little learning in max as you probably know), but what I wanted to do first and foremost with max was control analog synths

I was a big M fan, when it was new. It's funny to launch the current version on a current computer. The whole M world is clustered in the top left corner of the screen, reflecting its 9" Mac origins.

Nowadays, I'm pretty happy using Max/MSP for this sort of thing.

I have this program, which I call Gyre, that is sort of like a step sequencer/S&H/Random not generator on steroids. It also has a section to generates controller shapes, which can be synced to the rhythm cycle. I think that this is a really fruitful area to explore. As an aside, I find it interesting that I love modular & analog stuff for synthesis, put prefer doing note & controller generation using Max/MSP and my laptop.

I'm enjoying the track too EdisonRex. I actually got on here to ask a question that stems from trying to do something similar, set up wise. I've got a doepfer mcv24 and I'm trying to experiment with controlling the wretch machine. Instead of M, I was planning on using max/msp, which I just got 3 days ago. I haven't built my little control system (it takes a little learning in max as you probably know), but what I wanted to do first and foremost with max was control analog synths. The wretch seems slow to respond to the midiCC envelopes I've drawn in ableton live. I don't know whether it is a limitation of the wretch, or of my mcv24. What is the responce time like when using your kenton? I wanted to do filter sweeps and change the pulsar tune with some emphasis on moderatly fast rhythm. I'm a bit afraid that the mcv24 might be a little slow, and don't have any other analog gear to test the responce with. I have a few modules, I've collected, but nothing is set up yet (need to build cases and get power supplies)

Thanks

You know, you have hit on an interesting point. The Wretch, at midranges, does tend to respond kind of slow. The envelopes are not fast, and the CV changes are rather pokey. I expect this is because of the kind of circuit, but I don't know that. The Kenton is able to put out very precise, fast voltage deltas, and the M5N is perfectly capable of tracking it. I've always considered that to be part of the charm and mystique of the instrument.

I need to spend another afternoon with the damn trimmers on the Wretch, to get the tracking right again. i fucked it up last time.

Which is a bitch of mine. Those trimpots are impossible. I love the thing, but it's a pain in the ass to adjust the tracking. The trimpots don't line up exactly in the holes.

Instead of M, I was planning on using max/msp, which I just got 3 days ago. I haven't built my little control system (it takes a little learning in max as you probably know), but what I wanted to do first and foremost with max was control analog synths

I was a big M fan, when it was new. It's funny to launch the current version on a current computer. The whole M world is clustered in the top left corner of the screen, reflecting its 9" Mac origins.

Nowadays, I'm pretty happy using Max/MSP for this sort of thing.

I have this program, which I call Gyre, that is sort of like a step sequencer/S&H/Random not generator on steroids. It also has a section to generates controller shapes, which can be synced to the rhythm cycle. I think that this is a really fruitful area to explore. As an aside, I find it interesting that I love modular & analog stuff for synthesis, put prefer doing note & controller generation using Max/MSP and my laptop.

p.s.
One good thing about the server crash is that some of these older threads float to the top.

Hmm. I use Max/MSP for more complex things, but M is cool for just noodling. I'll check out your stuff, I liked your scrambler thing.

I find M useful to do basic step sequencing, with style. I can do steps and then screw around with them.

Anyway, yeah, threads floating to the top. 15 mins of fame, twice?_________________Garret: It's so retro.
EGM: What does retro mean to you?
Parker: Like, old and outdated.Home,My Studio,and another view

Thanks cbm, Gyre is something I'm going to try. I already love max/msp, even if I have know idea what I'm doing yet. EdisonRex, thanks as always, the wretch is such an odd animal. Unique limitations, unique sound. I don't even know what the trimmers do, this is the first I've heard of them, I need to read the more of the manual. I have had the wretch for a while now (a few months) but didn't use it much because I had know way to control it except the joystick, I bought it used because I didn't think I'd be able to find it used again for a while. Got the mcv24 relatively recently so I'm just getting to know the wretch. I've got all these holes in my analog gear because I buy things cheap and used, whether the order makes sense or not, anyway thanks to both of you.

oops, I thought gyre was available for download, guess I won't try it after all. Maybe in a few years I'll have built something similar. Looks fantastic. Two days ago I made it print "Hello". I'm halfway there.

Sorry to get your hopes up. I was just illustrating what can be done. I do have a few simple patches available that I made in response to questions on the Max list that you can find here: http://www.xfade.com/max/examples

If Gyre wasn't so tuned to my system, and if I didn't think that it would take a lot of work to document and clean up, I would consider releasing it, but in its present state, I fear that it would be a major time sink.

I'm sure I'll have to change it a bit for Max 5, so I might try to make it more general as part of that pass.

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